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Szczesny: New Arsenal goalkeeper won't affect me

Wojciech Szczesny was out of the Arsenal side for a period of last season © Getty Images

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Wojciech Szczesny has revealed he would not be affected if a new goalkeeper were to arrive at Arsenal.

The Poland international has been the Gunners' first-choice 'keeper over the last couple of years, but his position was under threat from Lukasz Fabianski during the last campaign as he played second fiddle to his fellow countryman during the middle part of the season.

Arsenal have been linked with a move to sign Queen's Park Rangers' shot stopper Julio Cesar, but Szczesny insists he will not be concerned if a new goalkeeper comes to The Emirates.

"Even if the boss was to make a big signing in goal, I would do my very best to compete for the number one spot. I'd do my best whatever my position," the 23-year-old told the Guardian.

"The club is in my heart and I wouldn't be thinking about going elsewhere. My head is pretty clear when it comes to that. You have to deal with the competition. I think that the competition from Lukasz when he was fit was pretty tough and I enjoyed it. It can only bring the best out of me.

"My confidence never gets crushed. Whatever happens, my attitude doesn't change. I still try my best in training. I want to make sure I'm in the best shape possible.

"Whether someone comes in, it's not my decision and it won't affect me in any way. There is the same talk every year. I think the manager has shown enough faith in me to make me feel confident in my own abilities. So it doesn't affect me."

And on the spell where he was out of the side, Szczesny believes it was all part of being a goalkeeper at such a major club.

"I'm still a young goalkeeper so I'm going to have my ups and downs. There's not a single goalkeeper in the world that goes through a season without a little dip. You wish that any dip is not long and big but you have to learn how to deal with disappointments and it never really affected my attitude," he added.

"You'd hope that I could go through the whole season the way I finished last season, but you cannot go through a season without any mistakes so it's how you deal with it and I think I've learned how to deal with mistakes. I'm hoping there will be less and less with each season.

"You can play for a smaller club, make a mistake and no-one will really highlight it but when you play for a big club, whatever you do is going to be in the papers. People are going to question you but it's not really a problem for me."

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